3D Print Your Own Syfy Originals: New Partnership with Thingiverse Among Syfy’s Expanding Tech Opportunities

January 4, 2016 by Sarah Goehrke 3D Design 3D Printing Business

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We all have dreams. Shockingly, I didn’t spend my childhood dreaming of running a 3D printing news site; the technology didn’t exist yet when I was born. Instead, I spent the ’80s and ’90s dreaming the dreams of many a young girl, and thought I’d have a life onstage. Sure, I went on to graduate with a degree in theatre, but by then I’d come to accept that I’d never be the next Broadway baby or Hollywood starlet. The dream didn’t die, though, and by my early 20s it had morphed into my ongoing, sometimes-secret dream: I really, truly want to act in a Syfy original movie.

I feel today, with the latest announcement from Syfy and MakerBot, that my daily life and my dream life are finally colliding, as Syfy is getting into the 3D printing world. The two entities have partnered up in a new cooperation announced today through which the newly-formed Syfy Labs will “offer exclusive 3D models of a variety of items related to the network’s programming via MakerBot’s Thingiverse.” That’s right: all the movie magic of these delightfully dreadful flicks is coming to the popular 3D design repository.

The new Syfy Labs innovation lab will bring together storytelling skills and high-tech creation platforms in order to produce new content and experiences. 3D printing, virtual reality, IoT integration, second screen experiences–you name it, Syfy Labs is looking toward it.

The Canterbury

Syfy Labs, along with the Thingiverse partnership, and a VR app for The Expanse in conjunction with Samsung for the Gear VR, was announced today in Las Vegas at CES.

“Syfy has long history of using technology in innovative and unexpected ways to enhance our television programming. The launch of Syfy Labs formalizes our commitment to giving our viewers new ways to experience the network’s content on a variety of platforms,” noted Matthew Chiavelli, Senior Vice President, Syfy Digital.

Among offerings available on Thingiverse are several ships seen on Syfy’s The Expanse, including The Canterbury, The Donnager, and The Knight. These ships, and further offerings from Syfy, represent Thingiverse’s first foray into a partnership with a major network, adding to the already more than one million designs available for download.

“As the Internet’s largest 3D printing community, MakerBot Thingiverse is the ideal platform for Syfy Labs to give fans access to printable files from their favorite Syfy shows,” noted Syfy in today’s press release.

For its part, MakerBot sees the potential for this partnership to pave the way for further alliances, as fans can become directly engaged with their favorite fandoms by downloading and printing their own exclusively licensed memorabilia at home.

Syfy Labs, which will be highlighting Syfy originals such as The Magicians and 12 Monkeys, in addition to The Expanse, is debuting this week at CES, with representatives available at Booth GL-4 in the Grand Lobby to discuss highlights of the new innovation lab. Syfy, which is owned by NBCUniversal (in turn a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation), will feature the Thingiverse designs, the expanding partnership with Samsung, and an expansion of a partnership with Phillips Hue that allows Syfy Sync consumers to adjust their home lighting to watch The Expanse, season two of 12 Monkeys, and the upcoming Sharknado 4 (yes, the fourth one). A MakerBot Replicator (equipped with the brand new Smart Extruder+) will be at the booth as well, as the show runs this week through the 9th.